Evening event hopes to spotlight ongoing work of Knit for Life

Tanya Parieaux, left and Gig Harbor resident Sara Kooley, share a laugh while working on knitting projects as part of Knit for Life at St. Anthony Hospital on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Kooley has been coming in the past few months to help out.

Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life

Gig Harbor resident Bea Watson has been a regular with Knit for Life for about three months now since her daughter was diagnosed with cancer. She comes in for about an hour at a time to work on projects for her daughter, who is currently undergoing treatment.

Ric Hallock | Gig Harbor Life

Knitting is an activity not normally associated with being a channel for small miracles.

But when a small miracle can be as simple as a friendly activity to calm the nerves of people dealing with a life-threatening diagnosis, miracles happen every week at St. Anthony Hospital's Jane Thompson Russell Cancer Care Center in Gig Harbor.

Knit For Life meets 1 to 3 p.m., each Wednesday in the comfortable lobby chairs of the cancer center. Volunteers work on their own knitting or crocheting projects or provide instruction to beginning and experienced knitters who are cancer patients or caregivers.

Through knitting, patients escape isolation as they share their experiences and concerns and receive both mental and physical support from other Knit For Life patients and volunteers.

"The whole premise is to make people feel good and just take them away from their fears and frustrations for a couple hours," said Knit For Life founder and Executive Director Tanya Parieaux.

A former Fox Island resident, Parieaux founded Knit For Life in 1997 as a way to give back to others after having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. She battled breast cancer again in 2009.

"The thing that amazes me about these groups is how quickly people bond with others with two sticks and a ball of yarn in their laps," she said.

Franciscan Health System Community Cancer Program Manager Jamie Dobosz said Knit For Life has been a part of the cancer care integrative therapies programming since St. Anthony opened in 2009.

"Our doctors are taking care of patients' physical medical needs," she said. "We are always looking for what else we can offer patients as far as their mental and spiritual needs."

Knit For Life is facilitated at 15 different locations throughout Western Washington. Now a Seattle resident, Parieaux personally facilitates eight of the locations, including traveling to the two in Gig Harbor. She is hoping to find more local volunteers to help with the local groups. A community awareness event is planned from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26, at Gig Harbor's new yarn shop, Rainy Day Yarns.

Rainy Day Yarns owner Sherri Hazen said Parieaux will be at the shop during the awareness event to talk about how the community and patients can get involved with the program.

"This is a great time to introduce people to Knit For Life and to the store," Hazen said. "We don't have a lot of experience with the program yet. We'd like to get people involved in making things for cancer patients — shawls, lap blankets, fingerless gloves — things to keep them warm while they're sitting there going through treatment."

The program and the supplies are free for patients and their caregivers. Creations don't necessarily have to be for cancer patients. Parieaux said she discovered early on that patients don't often want to knit hats for themselves to cover their cancer-related hair loss.

"Some patients make hats and scarves for their children or grandchildren," she said. "Some knit items for their nurses or doctors.

"These gatherings really quiet and soothe the nerves of those who are dealing with a life-threatening diagnosis," Parieaux said. "It's for men, women and children … it's kind of like you're having them in your living room."

To learn more about becoming a volunteer, visit www.knitforlife.org and click the Volunteer button and scroll down to the Volunteer Guidelines link or Volunteer Application link. There also is information on how to make tax-deductible monetary or materials donations and information on where Knit For Life is hosted.